ITEM PHOTO BY SPENSER HASAK
Julien Baptiste, left, lands a hit on Victor Reynoso during the first round of Boxing for Hope at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute on Saturday.
By HAROLD RIVIERA
LYNN — While records and results are major facets of sports, sometimes wins and losses take a back seat when there’s a greater cause at stake.
Saturday’s “Boxing for Hope” event at Lynn Tech proved that to be true.
A group of boxers from Private Jewels Fitness entered the ring to promote two positive messages. On one hand, they set out to prove that boxing is back in Lynn. On the other hand, they promoted a good cause, partnering with Lynn’s “Stop the Violence” organization, which aims to steer the city’s youth away from violence.
“Boxing is back in Lynn,” said Lynn native Alex Sepulveda, who owns Private Jewels, located on Summer Street, and trains the Lynn boxers. “Our kids showed up. We had four different states show up: Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Maine. Also, we had a few boxers from Lowell. Boxing is back.”
More than that, Sepulveda was proud of the courage his fighters showed by stepping into the ring.
“When it comes to boxing there’s no winner or loser,” Sepulveda said. “Everybody’s a winner because they’re stepping into the ring and doing their best. What happens now is whoever lost goes back to gym, they fix themselves and they come back better.
“It takes someone with a lot of heart to do what they do,” Sepulveda added. “Stepping into that ring isn’t easy. Just for that, these kids are role models because they’re fighting for their city and they’re fighting for such a great cause.”
“Boxing For Hope” consisted of nine bouts from a range of different ages and weight classes. Four Private Jewels boxers were able to flash their skills in the ring, with one, Charlie Espinal, a 21-year-old Salem native, bringing home a victory.
The opportunity to showcase their boxing talents in front of a crowd full of friends and family members, Sepulveda said, is one that his boxers aren’t likely to forget anytime soon.
“I love this sport,” he said. “I’m even more in love with Lynn, my city, for backing us up here. That’s the most important thing. This is a dream for these kids. Lynn, being able to make this dream happen, makes it even more beautiful. It’s for a great cause.”
“They were so happy,” Sepulveda said of his boxers. “This is a memory that they’ll never forget.”
Sepulveda also gave credit to the handful of boxing programs from outside of Lynn that brought fighters to Saturday’s event. Four of them were opponents for the Lynn boxers.
“Boxing unifies everybody as one,” Sepulveda said. “Everybody, when it comes to boxing, comes together as one. They respect one another as one. That’s why I love this sport so much.”
With a good cause at the center of Saturday’s event, Sepulveda was more than happy to see the boxers he trains fighting toward positive ideals. More than $4,000 was raised and proceeds went toward “Stop the Violence” and the boxing program at Private Jewels.
“We’re definitely boxing for a great cause here,” Sepulveda said. “We’re all fighting for the same common cause here. We’re fighting for hope and helping kids stay off these streets.”
Now that boxing has made its way back into Lynn, Sepulveda’s hope is that the sport becomes a mainstay in his home city. Private Jewels will be hosting another boxing event, “King of the Ring Championship Series” on July 28 at St. Michael’s Hall.
